Elton Paul Boutte

Published 12:00 am Saturday, January 27, 2024

A Memorial Mass will be held for Elton “Red” Boutte at 2 p.m. Wednesday January 31, 2024, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Loreauville. 

Elton “Red” Boutte was born to Sidney Paul Boutte and Louise Daisy Mary Broussard on July 2, 1929. Red attended St. Peter High School. He served as national guard in the military and traveled working for an oil company. He spent 42 years primarily as an electrician at Avery Island salt mine. He married Gloria Holleman in 1949 where they then spent 74 years together showing everyone around them what true love really looks like. Together they had six children, thirteen grandchildren, along with fourteen great-grandchildren.

Elton taught himself how to farm, raise cattle, ducks, chickens, rabbit and swine. He enjoyed welding, building boats, performing electrical work, grafting fruit trees and making wine. Red was capable of anything he put his mind to. He built a shop in his back yard and operated a car inspection business for over twenty years all while working a full-time job. He was quite the entrepreneur. He was a self-made man continuously reading on how to improve processes. Red loved fishing, trawling and spending time with his friends and family. He especially valued the importance of visiting the sick.

He used his voice to speak up for others, embodying fairness for all. After he retired he continued spending his days fishing, farming, participating in the farmer’s market in New Iberia, along with making sure no one felt like a stranger. He loved to have a conversation with anyone he came across.

Red is survived by his loving wife Gloria, children Wayne Boutte (Lynn), Barry Boutte (Vickie), Debbie Hensgens (Danny), Karen Jennings (John), Anson Boutte (Teresa) and Susan Klingman (Robert).

Red was preceded in death by his parents; three sisters, Odille Perrero, Marcelite Boutte and Daisy “Tute Tute” Connell; eight brothers, Ode, Alcide, Antoine, Dallas, Henry, Sidney Jr., Carroll and Dudley Boutte; one grandson, Chad Michael Boutte.

Red’s family wishes to thank his nurses, Laura and Joe with Hospice of Acadiana. We also want to thank the communities of Loreauville and New Iberia for the time spent with him in his final time on Earth before eternally joining our heavenly Father.

Red wished for his body to be donated to science for others to learn and grow themselves through him forever.